


Make You Swoon (But Not Like This)

by Imogen_LeFay



Category: Glee
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s05e16 Tested, M/M, Medical issues, Mention of eating disorder, blam friendship, body issues, but let's not be redundant, mention of Klaine, which is toxic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:00:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29166081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imogen_LeFay/pseuds/Imogen_LeFay
Summary: Sebastian wondered if Blaine Anderson would ever crash back into his life. He just hadn’t thought it would be this literally.Or: the one in which Sebastian gets to deal with the consequences of Blaine’s crash diet.
Relationships: Blaine Anderson/Sebastian Smythe
Comments: 20
Kudos: 102





	Make You Swoon (But Not Like This)

**Author's Note:**

> Notes: A few… I think months? ago, there was a gif set going around my tumblr dashboard of the Tested episode, in which Blaine has body issues and ends the episode on an insane cleanse. Let’s say it was infuriating. So, I felt like I had to do something with it. This is that.  
> So there’ll be discussion of body issues, self-esteem issues, and eating disorders. And of course, hurt/comfort. Cause how could I not?  
> (also my day was a disaster, so please excuse if the editing is a bit sloppy)

* * *

With every minute, Sebastian felt more bored, his eyes drifting to the clock on the wall of the ridiculously quaint coffee shop in what he hoped was at least subtle, as Troy – or was it Tray? One of those, he was pretty sure – kept droning on and on about what probably was biochemistry.

Really, though, that was his own fault. He should have seen this coming, agreeing to a coffee date with a premed student. Or maybe the problem was coffee dates… too innocent, and too little distractions, and so far, there’d only been one person he’d enjoyed them with.

Not that those had been dates, technically.

He tried to focus on Tray, but he could literally feel his eyelids dropping and quickly downed the rest of his coffee – not even because he wanted this to end, but mostly because without it he wasn’t sure he could stay awake long enough.

The movement had been too fast though, because Troy looked at him, blinking in slight confusion. “Refill?” he asked.

Before Sebastian even had a chance to think what to say, there was a gasp, and then a crash. Grateful for the distraction, he turned around, even as someone started to call for a doctor. Okay, his relief pretty much dissolved at that. This sounded moderately serious.

From where he sat, he could just so catch a glance of someone’s legs lying on the ground. Curious, he got up, and Troy followed him, even though he looked like he was about to keel over himself, suddenly pale and seeming a bit nauseated, as he looked around wildly, maybe hoping someone with more medical experience might be present. Tough luck for him that nobody came forward.

“Isn’t that right up your alley?” Sebastian asked, trying not to sound too smug. They were closer now, and he looked at the person lying on the ground. The first thing he noticed was the running outfit, then how pale the skin of the guy’s bare arms looked, and as he looked up – he froze.

Somewhere, in the back of his mind he could hear his own voice echo “wait a minute, I know that hair”, even as he dropped to his knees, because somehow, Blaine Anderson was lying in front of him, out cold, face ashen, on the floor of some gross New York coffee shop.

“Will you fucking _do something_?!“ he yelled at Troy, who looked even paler now.

“I’m in _pre-med_ ,” he hissed. “What do you want me to do? Recite the Krebs cycle at him?”

Completely useless, then. Sebastian would have to figure this one out himself. He tried to calm down, remembered that this wasn’t the first time he’d seen someone faint. There was that unfortunate girl from New Directions, sure, but even before that there had been more than one guy at sports’ meets who thought he had to play the tough guy. That was something he could deal with.

“Get me a chair,” he said to a girl standing by. Once she pushed it close, he lifted Blaine’s legs and put them down on the elevated surface. Slowly, he could see the color return to his cheeks, and then, finally, his eyes fluttered open. He frowned, blinking against the light, and obviously disoriented. Finally, his eyes settled on Sebastian, his brow furrowing further.

Sebastian could feel the tension drain from his own shoulders, as he kept a hand on Blaine’s shoulder holding down against the short attempt of getting up.

“Is he okay?” someone asked.

When Sebastian looked up, he saw one of the baristas.

“Do you have something with sugar?” Sebastian asked. “Coke or something?”

“Sure,” she said, hurrying behind the counter.

Calmer, Sebastian turned back to Blaine, still lying on the ground, but now focusing on him more closely. He still looked pale, but it was no comparison to the ashen complexion he’d shown at first.

“Come on,” Sebastian said softly, and carefully helped him get up into a sitting position, leaning his back against a chair. “Are you okay?”

“I don’t know,” Blaine answered, looking at him in confusion. “What happened?”

A question Sebastian was interested in as well. He let his eyes scan over Blaine’s body, again noticing what looked like a sports outfit.

“You fainted,” he said eventually. “Were you coming from a run?”

Blaine nodded. “I wasn’t feeling so good,” he said, “just thought if I get a drink…” At this, his stomach was growling.

Even more tension drained from Sebastian’s shoulders. “Skipped breakfast, huh? Well, that would explain it.”

The barista had returned, pushing a bottle of lemonade into Blaine’s hand, who took it in confusion, but put it to his mouth once Sebastian nodded towards him. Slowly, the bystanders dispersed again. Maybe it wasn’t the show they expected, or they left because the situation seemed under control. Only Tray was hovering around, looking completely lost.

Well, Sebastian certainly had no time for him.

“I’ve got this,” he said, dismissively.

“Oh… I mean… I…” It took Troy a moment until he understood the hidden message, but then he shuffled away.

Blaine looked after him in confusion, but quickly turned back. Maybe the head movement had made him feel dizzy.

“Do you live far from here?” Sebastian asked softly.

“About twenty minutes,” Blaine said. His voice was a bit raspy, but he seemed more alert already.

“I’m taking you,” Sebastian said. “But finish that first.” He nodded towards the bottle of lemonade.

Blaine nodded, closing his eyes in exhaustion, but he obeyed, sipping down what had to be way too sweet liquid, slowly but steadily. When he was done, his cheeks were almost rosy again, and even the slight shaking in his hands had disappeared.

“Okay?” Sebastian asked.

For a second, Blaine met his eyes, then he nodded, looking back to the ground.

It was easier than Sebastian would have feared, getting Blaine back to his feet and then walking. The shorter boy was shivering, so Sebastian stopped him for a moment, took of his own hoodie and put it around him, then led him further as Blaine leaned against him, and after a moment of hesitation, Sebastian allowed himself to put an arm around Blaine’s waist, steadying him as they made her way to his apartment.

Of course, Sebastian had wondered sometimes whether he should call Blaine, catch up, see if they could get together at some point. He’d stopped himself, every time. It had been tough enough to help with that insane proposal, to see the result and soon to be married bliss… he could think of better things. Still, even when he’d imagined them meeting again, he never would have considered this.

And to think, this was as close to getting a feel as he’d ever gotten.

When they’d finally arrived at the apartment – and really, Sebastian had never been more grateful for an elevator – he was pleasantly surprised. He’d expected some nightmarish decoration, curtains and sequins or things like that, but everything looked quite tasteful, although clearly lived in. He followed Blaine into the bedroom and got his next surprise. Two single beds. As if he didn’t already have enough ammunition for sexless marriage jokes…

“What?” Blaine asked.

“Nothing,” Sebastian said. “Just… separate beds, really?”

Blaine looked at him in confusion, then he shook his head. “I… live here with my friend Sam, his girlfriend has the other room. Kurt lives with Rachel.”

Sebastian raised his eyebrows, looking at Blaine in surprise. “Wait… are you single? Because that sounds like essential information you really should have told me about…”

“No,” Blaine said, too quick. “We just… decided to not live together for now.”

There was more to that story, but it was clear that Blaine had no interest in talking about it right now. And really, there were more important things to do. Sebastian looked around, until he spotted a bottle of water. He pushed it into Blaine’s hands and made him sit down on one of the beds.

“Feeling better?” he asked.

Blaine nodded, still looking down. “Thank you,” he said softly. “You didn’t have to…”

“Never mind,” Sebastian said.

“Still… it’s a bit embarrassing.”

That certainly would have been an explanation for his behavior, still looking down, not meeting Sebastian’s eyes. But it didn’t sit right with Sebastian, to see Blaine like this… insecure, uncomfortable…

“It happens,” Sebastian said. “Trust me, you’re not the first person who fainted. It happens at almost every sport meet. You skipped breakfast, right?”

“And dinner.”

The words were quiet, so low that Sebastian wasn’t even sure if he’d been supposed to hear them. That, more than anything, made him take notice. Slowly, he stepped to the bed, closer to Blaine, who was still avoiding his eyes.

Yes. Something was definitely going on here.

“Blaine? When was the last time you ate?”

“I… I mean… I had something yesterday,” he said. “I’m just trying this thing.”

The answer was so evasive, it basically said nothing. It was enough for Sebastian to straighten up. Like he hadn’t heard that before, when _I had something_ could range from a cup of soup to a stick of celery, enough to make it technically true, but couldn’t stop him from worrying.

“Tell me about it,” he said. He cursed his own tone. It sounded too much like an interrogation, and the last thing he wanted was to put Blaine on the defensive. But the hair on the back of his neck was standing up.

“It’s not a big deal,” Blaine said. For a flash, he looked up, a smile on his face that might have fooled a stranger but not Sebastian. “I’ve just decided to lose a bit of weight, and I’m starting with this cleanse thing, basically.”

Sebastian tried to keep the judgement out of his face, but it was really hard. “Where do you even have weight to lose?”

Clearly, that was the wrong thing to say. Blaine pulled his arms around himself, and Sebastian wasn’t quite sure whether it was a gesture of protecting himself or if he was trying to contain some invisible amount of excess weight.

“I just… the other day, I found out that I don’t fit into these chinos. And then I just realized that I gained some weight, and… well, I wanted to get rid of it,” Blaine said, but his smile had faded, and his whole expression seemed deflated. “It doesn’t really matter. It’s just for a few days. It’s five pints of hot coconut water with a little garlic salt, some Splenda and a splash of hot sauce, and then you jog, until…”

“Till you faint in a coffee shop?” Sebastian finished. “Jesus… where did you even find that?”

“It’s just for a few days,” Blaine said. “Just to get the worst of it off, and afterwards, I’ll switch to a healthier diet. It’s not a big deal.”

His smile had returned, and on first glance it looked fine, but there was just the most subtle shaking at the corner of his mouth, and he was blinking just a bit too fast.

And oh, did Sebastian know that look.

A long time ago, he’d heard some nonsense, about a child starting to grow up the first time they see their parents cry, like it shattered the illusions of childhood. For Sebastian, it had been that day when at thirteen, he’d seen his older sister, the golden child, come back from her first semester at university, thin, and bony, and with shadows under her eyes, moving the food on her plate to make it look like she’d eaten more than she actually had, declining wine, finding excuse after excuse for not joining them for dinner…

He hadn’t had the words back then, but he’d known something was wrong. It had taken a lot of time, and a lot of effort, and even if she was fine now, he knew the experience had left its scars.

And Blaine was still looking at him like that, like he was daring him to disagree with the genius of this insanity.

“If it’s so great,” Sebastian said finally, “why don’t you tell more people about it? I mean, you sound pretty proud of it. Then there’s no reason to hide it from your friends, or your fiancé.” And damn, he had even managed to say that word without gagging. He should get an award for this or something…

But Blaine looked at him in growing confusion. “This isn’t a secret,” he said. “Kurt helped me find this cleanse.”

Sebastian actually had to sit down at that, the mattress dipping under his weight. “Wait… they _know_? And they’re okay with this?”

Now that was almost enough to make him feel sick. To think that any sane person would listen to the idea of this plan and not immediately see how unhealthy it was…He didn’t have the best opinion of Kurt Hummel on his best days. But to not only stand by, while Blaine did this to himself, but actively encourage it…

This got worse every minute.

“Don’t look so shocked,” Blaine said. “This is fine.”

“This is actively inviting in an eating disorder. What the hell, Blaine?”

“It’s a cleanse. And it’s not like it’s forever. This is just for a few days, just to get on top of it, and once I’ve got rid of the worst of the weight gain, then I start eating healthier, and keep up with a better fitness program, and I’ll be fine, and never even let it get this bad again.”

“This isn’t on the same planet as fine, Blaine!”

“Well, what the hell do you want me to do?”

And there, it finally was. The façade of the smile had finally broken down, and the geyser underneath was coming through. How often had Sebastian tried to pry under the perfect bashful schoolboy exterior, to the undercurrents of Blaine Anderson, the fire he for some reason always tried to push down or hide? And finally, he’d gotten it to erupt. Somehow, it didn’t feel nearly as good as he’d thought.

“I… Everything’s a mess, Sebastian! I’m not… this isn’t me! It never was, and… I didn’t think… I don’t even feel like myself anymore! I look into the mirror, and I think… how did this happen? How could I let this happen? Who _is_ this guy? I never… I felt comfortable, and suddenly, I look at myself, and I think… who is that? And it’s not just the weight. I… I look around NYADA, and I thought I was doing well, but then I realize I’m dragging behind. And Kurt, he’s… god, he’s thriving, and I’m so happy for him, but it’s… it’s like we’re in a race, and I’m running and just having fun, and then I blink, and I don’t even see him anymore. And I know that’s how people look at us, like… oh, what’s going on there? He could do better… And it’s… it’s not him, it’s… _everyone_ , other students, even the professors, and he may not see it like that, but… he doesn’t see it at all. He’s so focused on himself, he doesn’t even see I’m struggling. I feel like I’m losing myself, like I’m becoming just a footnote in his story, and… I want him to succeed, he deserves it, I want the world for him. I just thought we’re doing this together. But we’re not. He’s running the race for himself, and he doesn’t even notice that I’m not there anymore. Because… he won’t miss me, when I’m not there. Just like when he left for New York, and I was left in Ohio. It’s just the same, when I’m not right there, he’ll forget me. If I was better, maybe… or… maybe not better, but… I don’t know. I honestly don’t know. And I’m trying to hold it together, but… the more I try, the more it slips through my fingers. Kurt, and NYADA, and… and this? I know it’s not everything, but damn it, it’s at least something I have a chance to control…”

It was beyond the breaking point, and Sebastian just… he couldn’t just watch, not anymore. This wasn’t his strength, god knew it wasn’t. He’d never been someone to comfort people, to be sympathetic and patient. He might be the worst person to be here right now, when Blaine was falling apart and needed someone to hold him together.

But Sebastian was here, and apparently, he’d have to be enough.

He took hold of Blaine’s shoulder, pulled him into his arms, surprised that there wasn’t even a hint of resistance. Blaine’s arms wrapped around him, clutching into his shirt, as he broke down into sobs.

“It’s okay,” Sebastian whispered, “you’re okay, you’ll be okay.” It was nonsense, but he felt like he had to say something, show Blaine that he wasn’t alone, that this wasn’t the end of the world. No matter how helpless he felt right now, he needed to hold Blaine, and be there.

Eventually, Blaine’s sobs subsided, the grip in Sebastian’s shirt lessened. What was left was exhaustion, and couldn’t he understand that feeling? He wasn’t even sure how long they sat there, the only noise Blaine’s raspy breathing, slowly calming down.

“Sorry… That was…”

“Long overdue, from the sound of it,” Sebastian said. “Don’t worry.”

“I’m a mess…”

“I mean… yeah, you kind of are. But that’s okay.”

Blaine pulled back, and he just looked tired. “I know this isn’t exactly healthy,” he said. “It just… it felt like something I could control. And I thought…” He shook his head. “I just wanted to like myself again.”

Sebastian chuckled. “Take it from someone who’s spent years failing at that… it’s not as easy. And this… this won’t help you. All it teaches you is to hate yourself, and see yourself as wrong, and… punish yourself for not being perfect.”

“What else can I do?”

Sebastian shrugged. “I don’t even see how this is your problem. I mean…” He made a pause to very obviously check Blaine out, and maybe he overdid it a little with the smirk, but it was worth it for seeing that blush again. “You’re gorgeous. But if you’re worried about the Freshman Fifteen, then maybe try something more constructive? Pick up boxing again, do some cardio. You know, Zumba is actually really hard, and I think you might be into it. The main point is, it’s supposed to be fun. Not punishment. Same with food. Don’t just starve yourself. Find healthy recipes that are actually fun to make, _and_ to eat.”

“So… basically make it an expression of self-love?” Blaine asked.

“Ugh, that sounds so cheesy,” Sebastian said, almost squirming at the implication. “But yeah, basically.”

“How do you know so much about this?”

Sebastian sighed. “Let’s say, I’ve seen this film before. So, here’s a spoiler – this won’t actually help.”

Blaine looked down, a sad smile forming on his face. “Cause it’s not actually the problem,” he finished the thought.

“It’s not really about a few pounds, is it?”

“It’s just…” Blaine sighed, lying back down on his bed, and staring at the ceiling. “How could it all go wrong so fast? I thought… I had this whole idea how things would go once I came to New York. And none of them have happened. Sure, I’m at NYADA, but… I don’t even feel like I belong there. Like I’m not good enough. Not for them, certainly not for Kurt…”

“Okay, I’m _not_ touching that one,” Sebastian said. “But as far as NYADA is concerned… I never really got why you wanted to go there so badly anyway. And you know, there’s a reason Kurt and Rachel Berry are doing so well there.”

The look on Blaine’s face was pure resignation. “Because they’re special. In a real way. Not just a small-town Ohio way.”

“What? No, that might be the dumbest thing you said today. And you tried to sell me on coconut water and Splenda.”

Blaine frowned, clearly still not getting it.

“Look, NYADA is overrated. And its focus is way too narrow. All it prepares you for is Broadway. And guess what, most of Broadway actors didn’t to go to that school, so it’s not even essential for this very small range it’s going for. Now, your fiancé and his hag are exactly the target demographic for NYADA. They grew up on musical theater, they bleed showtunes, it’s their whole world. But you’re different. You can do so much more than that. So maybe you don’t excel as well in this one narrow aspect. But step out of there for one moment, and you can do so much more than them. I’ve seen the music you write, I’ve heard you on the piano. You have visions, Blaine. You can do anything.”

“Except NYADA,” he said.

“Screw NYADA,” Sebastian replied. “Besides, if you were just not good enough, you wouldn’t have gotten in, right? And you did it on first try, isn’t that really rare?”

“How do you know so much about NYADA anyway?”

Sebastian shrugged. “What can I say, theater are majors are ridiculously easy.” He threw in a wink for good measure. “Most of them anyway.”

When Blaine actually chuckled at that, Sebastian felt relief flood through him. Maybe this wasn’t as much of a disaster as he’d feared.

“Look, if you find something isn’t a good fit, it’s not a failure,” he said. “I mean… Look, I’m in prelaw at Columbia. Exclusive program. Very prestigious. My Dad was so proud of me following in his footsteps. And you know what? I hate it there. It completely sucks. That doesn’t mean I’m a failure. Just that it’s not a good fit.”

“So, what will you do?”

“Find something that actually works for me,” Sebastian said. “You know, something I feel good about.”

“You make it sound so easy,” Blaine said.

“It can be,” Sebastian said. “Just takes a bit of courage.”

Blaine nodded, clearly deep in thought. But as he was thinking, a shadow seemed to fall over his face.

“What?” Sebastian asked.

Blaine bit his lower lip, and when he spoke again, his voice sounded bitter in a way that didn’t sound right. “You’re… the only person who actually talked to me about this,” he said. “The first person who listened. What do you make of that?”

“Probably that your real problem has nothing to do with the Freshman Fifteen,” Sebastian said without hesitation.

“Sounds right,” Blaine said.

They sat together in silence, and Sebastian wished he knew what to say, to make it better.

“What now?” Blaine asked.

And suddenly, Sebastian had an idea. “Now, you give me your keys, so I can go get some groceries, I swear I saw a shop earlier. I’ll make you lunch. And yes, don’t worry, it will be light. And you’ll eat. And then you’ll rest. Things will look better tomorrow.”

Blaine looked like he could start crying any moment again, although this time he seemed touched. More than anything, though, he looked exhausted.

“Now, no more tears,” Sebastian said, allowing himself one moment of stroking through his messy curls. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

It didn’t take long until he was back. He checked in on Blaine for a moment to find he had dozed off. Clearly, the exhaustion had caught up with him. It was fine, their kitchen wasn’t big enough to get lost in.

Sebastian was half-way through cooking – a simple lemon chicken with zucchini noodles – when Blaine stumbled back into the kitchen, blinking against the tiredness. Sebastian parked him on a bar stool and pushed another drink of lemonade into his hand, as he finished the last touches.

Blaine’s eyes widened at the first bite, and Sebastian couldn’t help a pang of self-satisfaction. So what if he mostly learned to cook a few dishes to impress potential dates? He was definitely using it for good now. This was even one of his favorites, and with a few substitutions light enough not to concern Blaine in his current fragile mindset.

Or maybe he wasn’t even thinking about this. Blaine ate like he’d been starving, and well, Sebastian supposed, he had been. All in all, it made one thing very clear. This could have been dangerous. He could only hope that Blaine would see this as the warning shot it was, but it was too early to tell.

Sebastian was determined to find out.

When he finished, Blaine sagged into himself. Clearly, he was done for the day, but at least there was a smile on his face.

“You should sleep,” Sebastian said. “You look like you can really use it.”

“I’m the worst host ever,” Blaine said.

“I actually have a lecture, so… don’t worry about it,” Sebastian said.

“A lecture you hate.”

“What can I say? The TA is hot,” Sebastian replied with a shrug.

Blaine laughed, but after a moment got serious again. “Sebastian… Thank you.”

“Anytime,” Sebastian said, matching the smile on Blaine’s face. “And you know… maybe we can do something. I wasn’t even joking about Zumba, I take classes every Friday. Again, it’s harder than you’d think. I could take you, if you’re interested?”

“I’d like that,” Blaine said.

“Cool, I’ll text you the details,” Sebastian said. “And now go to sleep, you look dead on your feet.”

As Sebastian left the apartment, there was determination in his step. This was not how he expected the day to go, but he couldn’t help but feel relieved he’d been there. And this time, he’d actually step up. He’d prove to be the friend Blaine needed. He would not fade away again, let Blaine fall down that particular rabbit hole. He’d seen where it could lead, and… no. Not Blaine. Not if he could help it. Oh, and if Kurt Hummel or anyone had a problem with it? Then to hell with them.

Blaine was worth fighting for, and Sebastian would not to give up again.

* * *

When Sam came home in the afternoon, he felt like a ninja on a mission. Well, maybe that was an exaggeration. Blaine still had classes, so it would be easy enough to hide the banner he carried rolled up under his arm in the living room, ready to be revealed when Mercedes came home, and then they could confront Blaine.

As he looked at the paper roll in his arm, the word “Intervention” clearly legible even through the plastic wrap, he was really relieved Blaine wasn’t there yet, but more relieved that his girlfriend had his back with this. Maybe she wasn’t too thrilled about the way he was going about it, but she’d agreed that they had to do something. This whole cleanse thing was an awful idea, and Sam felt worried. He remembered what it had felt like last year, when he’d thrown himself into fitness, obsessing over his body and every gram of fat. That could have gotten out of control easily, and Blaine had been the one to pull him off the ledge. Well, time to return the favor.

Except, it didn’t quite go like that.

When he walked in, the lights were on, and Sam could hear noises from the kitchen. Confused, he went to check. Blaine was standing at the sink, cleaning pots, a dark green hoodie, clearly too big on him, hang off his frame, and his hair a gel-free mess. There was a faint smell of food still in the air.

“Hey, I thought you had class.”

Blaine turned, clearly just as surprised to see him. “I… didn’t feel up to it,” he said with a shrug.

Only then did Sam realize what the dishes meant. “Wait… dude, did you eat?”

“I… yeah,” Blaine said. “This whole cleanse thing… I’m not gonna do that after all. It was a pretty dumb idea.”

“Thank god,” Sam said, breathing it out in relief. “We were _worried_ about you.”

Blaine frowned, then looked down to the poster. “Intervention?” he read. “Wait, is that about me?”

“Yeah, about the whole not-eating thing,” Sam said.

“Oh. Who was going to be there?”

“You know, Mercedes and me,” Sam said. He suddenly wondered whether he should have called Kurt… but then again, he had sounded pretty okay with the whole thing when they’d told everyone about it.

“I see,” Blaine said. “But you don’t have to worry. I’ll try to go at this from a more… positive perspective.”

“We can totally do that together, dude. Like, I’ve got your back, you know that, right?”

Blaine smiled. “Thank you. I just… there are a few things I have to think about. Not just about this.”

“Okay, cool. So… you’ve eaten, we’re taking an afternoon off… Time for some Smash Brothers?”

Blaine laughed. “I’d love to.”

Sam wasn’t an idiot. Well, he was definitely not as dumb as some people thought he was. He knew it wasn’t this easy, had been there himself. But that was okay. Blaine had stuck by him when he wasn’t doing well, and he’d do the same for his bro.

But for today, distraction and entertainment would be enough.

And if Blaine was picking on the hem of his hoodie – too large to be his own, now that Sam could see it better, definitely not something he’d ever seen Kurt in, but kind of too nice to belong to Cooper – and if he seemed a bit more lost in his thoughts than their game warranted, then Sam could leave it alone for now.

The first step was made. For now, that was enough.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> on tumblr as imogenlefay


End file.
